mk3 1.4 AEX breather hose filter

[wobbla]

Hey all,can any1 help pls.I drive a mk3 1.4 AEX on a 97-R-reg.This cars breather hose from crankcase to air filter keeps bunging up with creamy coloured sludge and water.Initially thought coolant was mixing with oil but coolant level has never dropped.Exhaust fumes are normal but it does consume a lot of oil.There are no cracks or tears in the breather pipe.I have to keep cleaning this pipe and breather outlet elbow every 3rd or 4th day to keep it clear and i hate it as it stinks.Also on the dizy cap mount there is an earth wire which has snapped and dont know where it was attached to originally.Other than this its a great car in ever way.So if any1 has had the same problems and nailed it pls let me know.Thanks in advance.

[BobProperty]

What sort of mileage are you doing? A few miles in traffic per day and the engine will never get warmed up and run enough to clear it itself.

[DropKickMurphy]

as BobProperty says, if you are only doing a few miles a day in cold weather it will never get hot and the gunk will remain. i'd suggest a good long run on a motorway to get it up to temp and then see whats left.

my 1.6 does this a lot in this weather, about a year ago i too the hose right off and blew all the gunk out with an air line, and it has been good as gold ever since, it seemed to be the case that the mayo got to a certain stage and then because there was so much grot in it, the pipe would never clear properly.

dont worry about the dizzy cap earth wire, is it the one on the metal 'collar' thing which goes over the plastic cap? if so these server almost no purpose - mine fell off years ago and hasnt hampered the engine in any discernable way!

keep an eye on the oil level, but its nothing to worry about, just part of the 1.4 and 1.6 AEE/AEX experience

DKM

[Crasher]

Absolutely normal for a town driven AEX engine and all the similar units such as the ABD and AEE. Even a little mayonnaise on the back of the oil filler cap is normal.

[wobbla]

Thanks for the replies guys.Im only doing short stop n starts around town so that explains it and im gna ignore the short earth strap on the diz and take it on the m6 for a blast to clear her lungs.Just yesterday the golf didnt start.It was turning over but wouldnt fire.It did on the second attempt after i held the starter for about 8 seconds and once up n running i noticed temp was staying on 70 whereas b4 it was midway.Could it be a faulty coolant temp sensor.Its the first cold start in the mornings thats giving me probz.Other times its fine.Also does any1 know if i can get more air into this golf to make it run better.Original air filter is oval shape, AEX engine 1.4.Sum1 showed me this induction kit i think but cant help wondering how the bonnets gna close due to the raised pipework which sits on the place of the existing airbox.Just wana say im chuffed to bits as i bought a brand new unwanted valeo clutch kit for this golf for only 30 quid fom e-bay last month and had it installed with new box oil for 100 quid fom local garage.I was quoted like 300 including clutch from others so check e-bay for bargains but make sure of type.Happy new year in advance to everyone.

[DropKickMurphy]

re the bad starting, try squirting some carb cleaner down the throttle body because it might be dirty and therefore not opening/closing properly - another common problem of the AEE AEX engines.

re the low temp, i'd suggest the thermostat as first culprit - these are cheap and easy to fix so try starting there and then work outwards.

finally, try doing a search on here for ways to make a 1.4 AEX more powerful, the answer is always the same - dont bother. its an old engine design with a long stroke and small bore and unless you are prepared to spend thousands you wont see any increase in power. perhaps if you spent £300 on a performance exhaust and £80 on a K and N filter you'd see a 4 or 5bhp increase tops. you might as well just go and buy a car with a bigger engine if you want to go faster.

what the 1.4 engine is excellent for is longevity, they will go on for 200,000 miles easily if serviced regularly, albeit rather slowly. get a 1.8 or 2.0 litre golf and you will be able to go faster, but there is no such thing as a 'fast' golf mk3 unless you buy a VR6, they are heavy cars after all!

DKM

[Crasher]

Don’t fit an induction kit, they are a complete waste of money. You could fit a K&N replacement filter for the original insert, they are worth the money.

The thermostat could be faulty or even missing, I strongly suggest that if you fit a new thermostat, you also buy the top cover as the centre reaction point is extremely prone to failure.

[wobbla]

Thanks DKM,had the airbox off and sprayed some carb cleaner in and around throttle body today.There was some black deposits but all nice and clean now.The car started after a struggle but i think thats because of the carb cleaner in the inlet.On second attempt she fired up nicley as it should and sounds lively.Then i took the golf on the motarway but first filled up half a tank with shell v-power and checked oil,coolant level,and corrected tyre pressures.I always enjoyed taking this golf on the motorway and cant understand why some people say the golf 1.4 is slow.Dont get me wrong i have driven better powered cars and im not comparing this to those cars but its not that bad for a 1.4 category.Mine is nippy and well balanced with 195/50/15 tyres.This size tyre is crucial and best suited to a basic mk3 in my opinion to prevent drag and improve ride and handling.When i got the car it was mostly pulling to the left and had wheel wobble at over 65mph.But after a year of going to diff garages new wishbones and upper strut mountings did the trick.Now driving it on the motorway is just a better experience.I can let go of the steering at over 70 mph and it just stays in a straight line and no wheel wobble.I dont advise any1 to test this way, trust.Anyway took the car on the motorway.Its silver by the the way.A 3 door colour coded all round with angels on the front and lexus's at the rear with rear spoiler brake led which is an original vw part.Chrome interior.To my expense i avoided the cheap pound shop add ons and went for real chrome but it makes the car feel good to touch and has its own unique lustre.The gear nob alone cost me over 45 squids and that was on offer too but it fits right up to the gaiter with no gaps and has never come loose like the cheaper rivals.Its an original upgraded vw gear nob.Anway as soon as i got on the motorway 2 other golfs appeared on either side of me out of nowhere and for a while all 3 of us were driving side by side in a 3 laner for a good half mile and i was in the middle.I think we all made a consious attempt to do this as it was unusual as we were all in mk3's.We split after this and i carried on.I was already in 5th and took her up to speed and stayed there as motorway was clear.Usual top end cars overtaking me and nuffin much to say apart from quite smooth responsive drive as the main aim is to get the car hot to see if it clears the sludge in the breather pipe by itself.Gosh,iv just looked back and seen how much iv written.Must have bored you to death with all this reading so il be quick.Got back home and after a cup of cha pulled the hose off and guess what, no sludge in the breather hose and it was dry as a bone.After 6 hrs started the car as it was cold by now and it started first time although the temp remains at 70 so gna look at that after the new year starting with what you advised.Thanks again.

[DropKickMurphy]

Hi Wobbla,

good to hear the sludge has gone, sometimes it can be a bit of a chore to get rid of it all but as long as you give it a decent run once every 6 weeks or so it should keep it under control.

yeah, dont worry if it is a little reluctant to start up 1st time after giving a dose of carb cleaner, it needs to clear its throat is it were before it kicks in. again, repeat the carb cleaner every few months and it should run right as rain.

its great when you can get a little mk3 convoy together isnt it? there will be a cult following in a few years time!

yeah, try changine the thermostat as a first fix, hopefully it will be nothing more than this as the part is very cheap and easy to fit, but you'll need a bit of coolant to top the engine up afterwards

take it easy

DKM